Paperweight c. 1845 - 1860

This "Paperweight" is a stunning example of millefiori glasswork, crafted by the Compagnie de Saint Louis around 1845-1860. Millefiori, meaning "thousand flowers" in Italian, is a technique where rods of colored glass are fused together and then sliced to create intricate patterns. The paperweight showcases a mesmerizing circular design of blue, white, green, and red glass, enclosed within a cage of twisted glass rods. This exquisite piece of art, now housed at The Art Institute of Chicago, exemplifies the technical prowess and aesthetic beauty of 19th-century glassmaking.